Air conditioning enclosure



Dec- 3, 19 R. F. CROSSMAN AIR CONDITIONING ENCLOSURE Filed Dec. 11, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBERT F. CROSSMAN.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,112,623 AIR QONDETIQNLQG ENCLGSURE Robert F. Qrossrnan, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, lyracuse, N.Y., a corporation t Delaware Filed Dec. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 243,817 4 Claims. (Cl. 622- 19) This invention relates to air conditioning apparatus and more particularly to an enclosure for an air conditioning unit.

Air conditioning entails the movement of a mass of untreated air, which may be fresh air from an outside source or secondary air drawn from the area or areas being conditioned or a combination of both, toward the air conditioning apparatus and the movement of a mass of treated air from the air conditioning apparatus toward the area or areas to be conditioned. The convergence and divergence of masses of untreated and treated air toward and away from the air conditioning apparatus often results in objectionable drafts, particularly in the area circumjacent the inlet and outlet of the air conditioning apparatus.

Considering the flow of untreated secondary air from the area or areas being conditioned toward the inlet of an air conditioning apparatus, it is understood that movement of secondary air is speeded up as the air converges about the inlet to the air conditioning apparatus. In units handling relatively small quantities of air, for example, room type air conditioning units, the movement of t e secondary air circumjacent the inlet normally may not be sufiicient to cause objectionable drafts. However, in larger units, which handle a much greater volume of air, the movement or" the secondary air circumjacent the inlet of the air conditioning apparatus often results in objectionable drafts.

The problem of objectionable drafts in the v'cinity of the air conditioning apparatus may be alleviated through the use of plural return air inlets in the area or areas to be conditioned. A ducting system may be used to communicate the inlets with the air conditioning apparatus. By this means, the amount of return air entering each inlet may be reduced with a resulting reduction in the movemeat of return air c-ircumjacent each inlet. In other applications, however, the use of plural return air inlets cor bined with a ducting system may not be feasible.

it is a principal object of this invention to provide a unique secondary air inlet for an air conditioning apparatus effective to avoid drafts oircumjacent the apparatus.

it is a further object of this invention to provide an air conditio .ng apparatus including structure for receiving untreated air at dispersed points and operable to converge and direct the untreated air into heat exchange relationship with the conditioning apparatus.

it is an additional object of this invention to provide an enclosure for air conditioning apparatus having a novel air inlet construction for efiiciently converging, within the enclosure, untreated air into heat exchange relationship with the conditioning apparatus. Other objects will become readily apparent hereinafter.

This invention relates to a self-contained air conditioning unit comprising an enclosure having first and second compartments, 2 motor driven compressor in the irst compartment, a condenser in the first compartment, an evaporator in the second compartment, means interconnecting the condenser, compressor and evaporator to form a closed path of refrigerant flow, air c rculating means in the second compartment, the enclosure including a pair of spaced side walls having a first edge lying in a first plane, a front member between said side wall first edges having a fiat section lying in a plane parallel to and spaced from the first plane with curved side sections between each of said wall first edges, 21 deflector element in the first plane fixedly attached to the enclosure and having opposite edges parallel to and spaced from an adjacent first side wall edge, a discharge opening in the en closure communicating the second compartment with the area to be conditioned, and an inlet opening in the front member flat section, the deflector element covering the inlet opening whereby the air circulating means draws untreated air around the deiiector element through the inlet opening into heat exchange relationship with the evaporator and discharges treated air through the dis charge opening into the area to be conditioned.

The present invention will be more fully understood when the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FlGURE 1 is a front perspective view of this invention;

FEGURE 2 is a vertical crosssection of the unit shown taken along lines llll of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a horizon al cross-section of the unit shown taken along lines ill-ill of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a self-contained air conditioning unit designated generally at 1. Unit 1 includes a lower enclosure 3 and an upper enclosure 2. A member 6 having an opening 9 therein separates lower enclosure 3 from upper enclosure 2. Member 6 may be provided with suitable insulation. Lower enclosure 3 comprises a base 5 and rear and side members 7 and E; respectively. A partition 11 having a front edge 15 divides enclosure 3 into a lower compartment l2 and an upper compartment 13. Partition ll may be provided with a suitable insulation to thermally isolate compartments l2 and 13 from each other.

A hermetic compressor 15 is positioned in lower compartment 1.2. A condenser 3.7 is disposed in the lower compartment 12. Condenser 17 may comprise a tube-intube structure wherein refrigerant passing through the inner coils is cooled by cooling water passing through the outer coils. Condenser i7 is preferably disposed about hermetic compressor 16. 7

An evaporator 18 is positioned in the upper compartment l3. Suitable filters may be provided adjacent evaporator Evaporator 18 is connected by suitable (not shown) to compressor 16 and condenser 17 to form a closed path of refrigerant flow. A suitable expansion means, for example, an expansion valve (not shown) is provided in the refrigerant flow path.

A fan scroll S53 is fixedly positioned within upper compartment 13 of enclosure 3 by suitable means (not shown). The discharge end of fan scroll 33 abuts top member 6, opening 9 thereof communicating the fan scroll with upper enclosure 2. A centrifugal fan 34 having a suitable drive means (not shown) is supported within fan scroll 33. In a manner to be more particularly explained hereinafter, rotation of fan 34 draws air to be conditioned through filters and evaporator lb into scroll 33, scroll 33 discharging the conditioned air through opening 9 into upper enclosure 2.

Upper enclosure 2 includes a top member and rear and side members lfi and 2 5 respectively. Upper and lower enclosures 2, 3 are each provided with a front member 21, 22 respectively. Front member 21 includes a flat or planar section 23 with outwardly curved sides 26 attached to e front edge 27 of each of the side members 26. Front member 22 of lower enclosure 3 is similarly formed with a fiat or planar section 3 and outwardly d sides attached to the front edge 41 of each of the side'members The lower and upper edges 28, 29 or the front members 21, 22 respectively abut.

The planar sections 23, 39 of from members 21, 22 lie in a plane parallel to rear members 19, 7 and perpendicular to side members 2t 8. Planar section 23 or" front member 21 includes opening 24 communi ating the upper enclosure 2 with the area to be COi'ldlllOllcd. Opening 24 may be provided with louvers 2S. Conditioned air discharged into enclosure 2 from fan scroll 33 passes through opening 24 into the area to be conditioned.

' Edge of partition ll has a fiat central section and outwardly curved sides similar to the configuration of front member 22. in assembly, front member 22 tightly abuts front edge 15 of partition 11 to complete lower compartment 12. Planar section 39 of front member 22 includes opening 42 adjacent evaporator 13. While opening 42 is shown as being rectangular, other configurations, for example, circular may be contemplated. Front member 22 may be provided with suitable insulation.

Upper enclosure 2 may be dispensed with and a suitable discharge duct (not shown) may be provided. By this construction, conditioned air discharged from the fan scroll 33 is directed by the discharge duct to the area or areas to be conditioned.

An outer or deflector panel 46, spaced from and par allel to planar section 39 of front member 22 is releasably attached thereto by spaced fastening means 65. Panel 4-6 is co-planar with the front edge ll of each of the side members 3. The opposite edges 48 of outer panel 46 are spaced from and parallel to an adjacent side wall 8. Panel as cooperates with curved sides 4-!) of front member 22 to define intake passages 49 leading to opening 42. A second outer panel d7 may be similarl attached to front member 22 below panel 46. Panel 47 is co-planar with panel d6. Outer panels 46, 47 may be provided with suitable sound insulation.

Return air from the area being conditioned is drawn to the unit It by fan 34, the untreated air passing through intake passages 49 into opening 42. The air is drawn through filter 3t} and evaporator 18 into fan scroll 33 for discharge through opening J into upper enclosure 2. The conditioned air thereafter passes through opening 24 into the area to be conditioned. Return air may also pass around the upper and lower edges of panel as between the fastening means 65 into opening 4 If desired the passage of air around either the upper edge or the lower edge of the panel 45 or both, may be forstalled by the use of a partition between the spaced fastening means 65.

As may be understood, surfaces exposed to view, for example, the upper and lower exterior panels 46 and 47 may be provided with a suitable decorative finish.

Applicants unique enclosure construction for air conditioning apparatus reduces the concentration of moving return air adjacent the exterior of the enclosure. By applicants construction the final stage of return air convergence is located within the confines of the enclosure.

By this novel construction, objectionable drafts caused by the convergence of a mass of return air circumjacent the air conditioned apparatus are avoided or greatly reduced without the use of expensive and complicating return air vduct worl'.

bodiment of my invention, it will be understood that my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a self-contained air conditioning apparatus, the combination of an enclosure, partition means in said enclosure defining first and second compartments therein, compression means in said first compartment, :1 first heat exchange coil in said first compartment, a second heat exchange coil in said second compartment, means interconnecting said first and second heat exchange coils and said compression means to form a closed path of refrigerant flow, air circulating means in said second compartment, said enclosure including a pair of spaced side walls each having a first edge in a first plane, Wall means between said side Wall first edges including a flat section lyin in a plane parallel to and spaced from said first plane and curved side sections between said fiat section and each of said wall first edges, a discharge opening in the second compartment communicating said second compartment with the area to be conditioned, an inlet opening in said wall means fiat section communicating said second compartment with the area to be conditioned, a deflector element fixedly attached to the enclosure, said deflector element lying in said first plane and having op posite edges spaced from an adjacent first side wall edge and covering said inlet opening whereby said air circulating means draws untreated air between said deflector element and said curved side sections through said inlet opening into heat exchange relationship with the second heat exchange coil and discharges treated air through the discharge opening into the area or areas to be conditioned.

2. In a self-contained air conditioning apparatus, the combination of an enclosure, partition means in said enclosure defining first and second compartments therein, said enclosure including a pair of spaced side walls each having first and second edges, each of said side wall first edges lying in a first plane, a rear wall between each of said side wall second ed es, said rear wall lying in a second plane parallel to and spaced from said first plane, a front member including a fiat section and curved side sections between each of said side wall first edges, said front member fiat section lying in a third plane parallel to and spaced between said first and second planes, compression means in said first compartment, a first heat exchange coil in said first compartment, a second heat exchange coil in said second compartment, means interconnecting said first and second heat exchange coils and said compression means to form a closed path of refrigerant flow, air circulating means in said second compartment, a discharge opening communicating said second compartment with the area to be conditioned, inlet means communicating said second compartment with the area to be conditioned, said inlet means including an opening in said front member fiat section having opposite sides parallel to an adjacent first side .wml edge, a deflector element attached to said enclosure over said opening, said element lying in said second planeand having opposite edges parallel to and spaced between an adjacent first side wall edge and an opening side whereby untreated air drawn to said inlet means by said air circulating means converges around said deflector element into said opening into heat exchange relationship with said second heat exchange coil.

3. An enclosure for an air conditioning apparatus comprising means defining first and second compartments, said means including a pair of spaced side walls, each of said walls having a first edge lying a first plane, means interconnecting said side walls having a first part lying in a second plane parallel to and spaced from said first plane and curved side par-ts between said first part and each of said first side wall edges, an opening ins-aid first part communicating with said first compartment, said opening having opposite sides parallel to and spaced from an adjacent side Wall first edge, a deflector element attached to said enclosure over said first pant, said element lying in said first plane and having opposite edges parallel to and spaced between an adjacent side Wall first edge and opening side whereby plural curved air paths leading to said opening are defined.

4. An enclosure for an air conditioning apparatus having air circulating means comprising first and second compartments, said first compartment enclosing said apparatus, an opening communicating said first compartment with said second compartment, means communicating said first compartment with the area to be conditioned, means communicating said second compartment with the area to be conditioned, said air circulating means drawing untreated air through said first compartment communioating means into said first compartment and expelling treated air through said second compartment communicating means into the area to be conditioned, said first compartment communicating means including first opening means lying in a first plane, second opening means ofiset relative to said first opening means, said second opening means lying in a second plane parallel .to and spaced from said first plane, and curved passage means communicating said first opening means With said second opening means.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,460 Atchison Jan. 12, 1960 3,018,642 Latin-op Jan. 30, 1962 3,035,422 Halbeisen May 22, 1962 

4. AN ENCLOSURE FOR AN AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS HAVING AIR CIRCULATING MEANS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS, SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT ENCLOSING SAID APPARATUS, AN OPENING COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT WITH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT, MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT WITH THE AREA TO BE CONDITIONED, MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT WITH THE AREA TO BE CONDITIONED, SAID AIR CIRCULATING MEANS DRAWING UNTREATED AIR THROUGH SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING MEANS INTO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT AND EXPELLING TREATED AIR THROUGH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING MEANS INTO THE AREA TO BE CONDITIONED, SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING MEANS INCLUDING FIRST OPENING MEANS LYING IN A FIRST PLANE, SECOND OPENING MEANS OFFSET RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST OPENING MEANS, SAID SECOND OPENING MEANS LYING IN A SECOND PLANE PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST PLANE, AND CURVED PASSAGE MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST OPENING MEANS WITH SAID SECOND OPENING MEANS. 